Chaldean Patriarch highlights scale of Christian emigration from Nineveh Plains due to fear and marginalization

ERBIL, Iraq — Chaldean Patriarch Mar Louis Raphael Sako recently stated that 100 families have emigrated from the Nineveh Plains town of Baghdede, Iraq, in recent months, citing persistent fears, unfair treatment, and marginalization affecting the Christian community in Iraq.

In an article titled “Iraqi Christians towards Emigration,” published on the Chaldean Patriarchate’s website, Patriarch Sako highlighted that instability and the absence of equity have reignited the trend of emigration. Specifically, he noted the departure of 100 families from Baghdede in recent months and the emigration of dozens of families from other cities, including Ankawa in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The reasons cited for emigration range from apprehensions about the future to months of unpaid salaries.

The Patriarch emphasized the broader context, stating that over a million Christians, predominantly from scientific, economic, and skilled backgrounds, have already emigrated. He conveyed the Christian community’s collective sense of sadness, pain, fear, and vulnerability in the face of marginalization, kidnappings, and killings that occurred after the fall of the Saddam regime and during the years of Islamic State (ISIS) domination over Mosul and Nineveh Plains.

Sako criticized the central government for its failure to provide adequate support during these challenging times. He pointed out that attacks on Christians persist, affecting their abilities, jobs, property, and even cases of forced religious conversion by ISIS or other entities. Additionally, he expressed concerns about the attempts to erase the Christian community’s heritage, history, and religious legacy, as well as instances of hatred expressed in certain religious sermons.

Patriarch Sako highlighted a concerning incident where some clerics refrained from congratulating Christians on the birthday of Jesus Christ, underscoring the ongoing challenges faced by the Christian community in Iraq.

In questioning the seriousness of the Iraqi government’s commitment to ensuring justice for Christians, Patriarch Louis Sako raised doubts about the outcome of the investigation into the tragic wedding hall fire in Baghdede of September 2023, an incident that many believe was not a mere accident.